John and Frank Navin, the brothers at the core of the Aluminum Group, are about to scoop poop in about $6,000 worth of Prada. Neither the band nor their day jobs (schoolteacher and waiter respectively) paid for it: the sibs met Aluminum Group superfan Fabio Zambernardi, right-hand man to Miuccia herself, 18 years ago through designer Lawrence Steele, a friend of Frank’s from his days at the School of the Art Institute. Over the years, Zambernardi has outfitted them with suits, sweaters, and shoes for their tours and photo shoots. Recent care packages have included shirts and bags appliqued with robots made of spare buckle parts, plus a dozen robot “tricks,” or charms. Made from found objects and meant to hang from belts and purses or be used as key chains, they sell for $135 to $325 in stores. Here the Navins have mixed the swag with humbler items from their wardrobes, including rope sandals picked up on a trip to Turkey.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Saverio Truglia.